How to open Dumpster Pearls in Pacific Drive

GamesSurvival & CraftingPacific DriveHow to open Dumpster Pearls in Pacific DriveWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Ironwood Studios)

A station wagon with sci-fi gadgets on it

Pacific Drive’sDumpster Pearlsare curious items. You’ll start finding them pretty early on in the game: yes, sometimes you’ll find them in actual dumpsters but you may also come across them in abandoned delivery trucks or other large containers in the exclusion zone.

You probably tried to open them the same way I did: right then and there using your trusty scrapper. After all, you can easily carve doors and bumpers off cars and strip computers and radios into spare parts with your scrapper. Surely, a Dumpster Pearl, whatever it is, won’t put up much of a fight.

Unfortunately, you can’t open a Dumpster Pearl like that. Here’s what you need to do.

Pacific Drive Dumpster Pearl: How to open them

(Image credit: Ironwood Studios)

A blob

Inside a container, the icon for a Dumpster Pearl looks like an oyster, and when you hold or drop it, it looks like a lumpy, shiny rock. When you find a Dumpster Pearl, don’t waste your time trying to open it in the zone with a pry bar or scrapper. Throw it in your trunk and save it until you’re back at your garage safe and sound. Then haul it out of your trunk andfeed it to your Matter Deconstructor.

Your Matter Deconstructor is the ring-shaped piece of equipment that sits near the door to the room where your fabrication station is. (If you’re reading this and haven’t built that yet, just store the Dumpster Pearl in the garage locker for now. Keep following the introductory quests and you’ll be able to build the Matter Deconstructor soon.)

(Image credit: Ironwood Studios)

Machinery in a garage

With the Dumpster Pearl in your hands, just walk up to the Matter Deconstructor and use it. It’ll quickly chew it up and dump all the resources it contains on the floor, which is usually extra sheet metal, sometimes steel panels, and other odds and ends. Keep an eye out for more Dumpster Pearls while you’re exploring the zone: it’s a lovely gift from a thoughtful dumpster, and always worth finding room in your trunk for.

Pacific Drive tips: 10 useful things to knowPacific Drive ThermoSap Crystals: Where to find themPacific Drive Dumpster Pearls: How to open themPacific Drive Lead Platelets: Where to locate themPacific Drive Unstable Energy: How to get it

Pacific Drive tips
Pacific Drive ThermoSap CrystalsPacific Drive Dumpster PearlsPacific Drive Lead PlateletsPacific Drive Unstable Energy

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

More about survival craftingAfter 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my listPlease join me in getting super excited for all the cool looking survival games coming in 2025 (and beyond)LatestElden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC aren’t invited to the party, or anythingSee more latest►

More about survival crafting

After 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my listPlease join me in getting super excited for all the cool looking survival games coming in 2025 (and beyond)

New warm and cold pigs

After 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my list

A survivor in the woods with a weapon and mask

Please join me in getting super excited for all the cool looking survival games coming in 2025 (and beyond)

LatestElden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC aren’t invited to the party, or anythingSee more latest►

Latest

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC aren’t invited to the party, or anything

Nightreign knight holds his fist in menacing fashion

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC aren’t invited to the party, or anything

See more latest►

Most Popular

Competitive shooters are at a crucial crossroads in 2025: ‘sweaty’ teamplay vs. casual fun

Call of Duty’s $28 Squid Game skins are the perfect crossover for our capitalist dystopia, and Activision knows exactly what it’s doing

These are the 14 biggest upcoming RPGs of 2025—get ready for another amazing year for the genre

Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 6, 2025)

I’ve seen enough: No more forcing singleplayer studios to make mediocre live service games

6 games that could be bigger hits than you’re expecting in 2025

What are your 2025 gaming resolutions?

The FBI put a $5 million bounty on the ‘Cryptoqueen’ last year but still hasn’t found her, so take your pick: Russia, South Africa, or murdered on a yacht in 2018

The Witcher season 4: Everything we know about Hemsworth’s debut on The Continent

8 bold gaming predictions for 2025

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Pacific Drive Dumpster Pearl: How to open them#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

Pacific Drive Dumpster Pearl: How to open them

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals